Fight or Flight
by Roguie
Summary: Logan has gone behind Max's back and cured the virus. Now he's determined to romance Max before telling her that the virus is no more, only he forgets that Max is not an ordinary girl. R for Language and future M/L fun. 8th Chapter Uploaded.
1. Clean Slate

A/N: Hello, yet again. Those of you that have read my previous epics, well, hopefully you'll know what to expect from this one. Pure M/L shippiness. Chapter after chapter of pure fluff. Buh bye virus bitch 'cause I just ain't got the heart to deal with it more than once every few months.  
  
Before y'all ask, I've little to no clue how long this will be, nor do I know how often a chapter will be posted. My muse is doing the Buffy back from the dead thing: basically, slow as molasses, bitchy as all hell, and stubborn as a mule. Your regular post-reanimation sequence I suppose. I've rarely posted an unfinished chapter fic before, but I figure y'all can deal with it, even though it will be posted slower than my previous fics.  
  
The title on her is a working one right now; it's taken me three weeks to come up with Fight or Flight, and although I don't expect it to change any time soon, please know that that is a possibility. Oh, and as it stands, I've no clue as to the rating of this fun creature. For now I'm going with R for language and some M/L fun, although I am uncertain as to whether it'll end up as one of my NC17s. Apparantly, it's an on going joke with my family, friends and boss that I'm a smut writer, so I'm determined to break out of that characterization. Unfortunately, the characters have minds of their own, and if they want to bang the gong, they will. We'll see how they feel by the end of this. :P  
  
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)  
  
Future authors notes will not be as long winded as this one. LOL I'm just getting back into the swing now. *G*  
  
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.  
  
  
  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
  
Part One: Clean Slate  
  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
"No. We're not going to tell her. Not yet at least."  
  
"You've both been waiting for this equally as much. How can you justify prolonging her suffering?"  
  
"She'll understand when I do finally let her know."  
  
"You hope."  
  
"I know."  
  
"She's a woman. Women don't react to things like this in a normal way, not like men. They tend to blame, and where there's blame, there's yelling, and where there's yelling, there are misunderstandings, and where there are misunderstandings, there's a cold bed that night. Trust me. Women don't like these kind of surprises."  
  
Logan Cale ran a hand through his hair before returning it to the wheels of his chair. The one thing he hadn't been expecting today was a lecture from his doctor. If things had gone as he had hoped, if the virus did prove to be completely gone from Max's DNA, if it really was safe for the two of them to begin anew what it was Manticore had put on hold, he had a plan. The plan would involve romance, soft candlelight, gourmet dinners, and Max, but he also had a time frame, and telling her today was not in the plan.  
  
Today was February 1, 2021. They had spent their second Christmas together much as they had their first; not touching, barely meeting each other's eyes, indulging themselves on a turkey with all the fixings, and exchanging tiny presents, but there had been no emotion. In the last months, they had conditioned themselves to not feel each other's presence, to not care beyond what pain they could afford, and Christmas had been no different. Now, with Sam looking down at him, holding the papers indicating Logan's and Max's "all clear", things were going to change. Logan could once again bring himself to lose his soul in Max's eyes, he wouldn't have to resist the urge to reach out and brush a stray lock of hair from Max's eyes, and in his sight was finally the night where he could take her to his bed and make love with her for long, sweet hours. Still, he had a plan. By the time the next two weeks had passed, Max would know exactly how loved and how treasured she truly was, and when the moment they'd been waiting for arrived, there would be no fear and no hesitation. There would only be Logan and Max, and his world would be complete.  
  
"She'll understand, Sam, you don't know her like I do. Besides, I'm not going to wait long. I just need a few days to set things up."  
  
"Logan..."  
  
"Sam, I thank you, more than you will know. You went above the call of duty. I know this wasn't exactly your area of expertise, and I shudder to think with whom you've had to collaborate to finish this. What you've done with the formula my friend provided leaves me in your debt, so please, if there is ever a favor you need, don't hesitate to ask."  
  
"But?"  
  
"But this isn't something you can help me with. Max and I will figure this out on our own, and if she reacts poorly when I tell her, well then you can say, "I told you so". I just don't think that will happen."  
  
"I'll never understand how you could have done this behind her back, Logan. She's a smart girl, she has to know you're up to something. How did you even get these blood samples from her?"  
  
Logan smiled. "I told her a researcher I knew was going to take a crack at the virus."  
  
"And she believed you? Every time?"  
  
He shrugged. "She trusts me."  
  
Sam nodded. "Yeah, and see what you've gone and done with that trust." He lifted an eyebrow as Logan winced. "Never mind. How did you get the antigenist into her then?"  
  
"Tryptophan."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I hollowed out several of the tryptophan capsules I keep at the penthouse, refilled them with the oral formula of the antigenist, and gave them to her over a course of evenings telling her that she looked pale."  
  
"All of this to surprise her?"  
  
Logan shrugged. "I didn't want to raise her hopes if there was no point."  
  
"If she doesn't kill you when you tell her, Logan, congratulations. You've outdone yourself this time. Although, on behalf of Max, I'm routing for her to at least break a bone or two."  
  
Logan chuckled. "You just want the commission from patching me up."  
  
"Damn straight." Sam grinned and shook his head, stretching out his hand to shake Logan's. "Glad I could be of help. When you do tell Max, let her know I'm thinking of you both, and to not hurt you too badly. I'm only one man, and next time I may not be able to put you back together."  
  
Logan shook Sam's hand firmly before spinning his chair and rolling towards the door. "I mean it, Sam. Thank you."  
  
The doctor shook his head softly, watching as Logan disappeared into the hallway.  
  
*****  
  
"It's me. You paged?"  
  
Logan smiled softly into the receiver of his phone, carefully gauging the words he was about to use. "Yeah, was thinking maybe you'd like to come over tonight. It's been a while since we've had dinner together, and I thought it would be nice."  
  
Max tried desperately to ignore the noises of Jam Pony around her, her eyes narrowing as Normal passed her by, bipping in her ear as he disappeared behind his desk. "Yeah, I could probably swing by. What's the damage?"  
  
"No damage. I have everything here we'll need. Eight o'clock?"  
  
"That'll work."  
  
"This isn't social hour, Max, you want a job, here's a concept for you: work!"  
  
"Listen, I gotta blaze. Normal's been riding my ass all day."  
  
"It's good. See you tonight."  
  
"Late."  
  
Max turned around just as Normal appeared once more, waving a package in her direction.  
  
"Save it, Normal."  
  
"Excuse me?" His eyebrow's lifted as she stormed towards him, grabbing the package out of his hands.  
  
"You see my feet moving? You see me heading for the door? You see my ass as I walk away? I'm going!"  
  
Normal watched her for a moment, turning as Original Cindy approached from behind. He frowned at her. "What's her problem today?"  
  
Cindy shrugged, grinning as she pulled a package off the counter. "Boo's still not over that psychological bitch. Got a lot goin' on upstairs, y'know what 'm sayin'?"  
  
Normal swallowed. "Um, yeah. You just tell her to take it easy."  
  
"What'm I, your messenger girl?" Cindy blinked, glancing down at the package in her hand. "Whatever, 'cause Original Cindy knows where her boo's at in life, and, sugar, ain't got shit to do with you."  
  
"All the same..."  
  
"Yeah, if she wants to know, Original Cindy'll pass the message, if she ain't in the mood, do it yourself. I'm so gone, now."  
  
Cindy smiled to herself as she moved quickly out of Jam Pony, hoping to catch Max outside by their bikes. Sure enough, the tiny dark haired beauty was only just climbing onto her bicycle seat, and Cindy hollered her down.  
  
"Hey, boo, s'up?"  
  
"Got the crib to yourself for a few hours tonight." Max smiled up at her and shrugged.  
  
"Mmm, the big man got ya jumping hoops again?"  
  
"Nah, he's feedin' me."  
  
"Y'all over this slump then? Gonna go with it till the bitch is kicked?" Cindy turned her warm eyes on Max, uncertainty fogging her usually direct gaze.  
  
"Nah, girl, probably just a pity dinner. Y'know, 'if you feed her, she will come' type shit."  
  
Cindy shrugged. "Well, boo, you could take that in two ways. Take that the bad way that's obviously floating through that thick skull of yours, 'n figure he's just doin' this to set you up for whatever shit that boy's always puttin' you through, or you could take it the good way that ain't hit your sometimes too sarcastic mind."  
  
Max sighed. "So, tell me what I'm missing."  
  
"Boo, you think maybe he's missin' you much as you missin' him? Maybe it is just dinner. You said it yourself: "If you feed her, she will come". Now, I know you ain't turned him down, but you go over there with that miserable as hell expression on your face, 'n you just gonna end up both hating the few hours you gonna get. If he wants to see you, boo, I say get your ass on that black deathtrap you ride 'n go over there 'n show him that no matter what shit's floating through your blood, you still you."  
  
Max cocked her head to the side, and glanced up at Cindy, a half smile inching across her face. "How'd you get so smart?"  
  
"Original Cindy's seen a lotta shit in her life; I know when my boo needs a kick in her genetically engineered ass."  
  
"Where would I be without you?"  
  
Cindy reached down and took the package out of Max's backpack, grinning down at her young friend. "The hell 'n gone over in Sector 12 delivering this shit. I got your back, Max. You go home 'n get yourself hooked up, you got a date. Meanwhile, Original Cindy's gonna hope whoever belongs to this package is a slammin' lickety chick, cause I think I just racked up about a hundred brownie points with Herbal's Most High."  
  
"You're ace, my sister."  
  
"Ain't I knowin' it. Now get outta here before I gotta kick your ass, twisted DNA 'n all, right the hell back to our crib."  
  
Max watched as Cindy moved back into Jam Pony, her friend's loud voice carrying out to the streets. "Hey, Normal, you know that talk we just had? Well, now I'm gonna be doing Max's run on my way home, since your kind words just sent her into a tailspin." Max leaned forward as Cindy paused. "Why can't you learn to mind your own damn business? I told you my boo was in a place you shouldn't be trespassin' 'n instead of taking Original Cindy's advice, you go 'n make things worse."  
  
Max laughed and shook her head, adding a mental note to find some way to thank Cindy one day for all the lies and stories she's had to make up over the years to get Max's back.   
  
She pedaled slowly down the street at first before picking up speed, her heart racing but not from physical exertion. For some reason her senses were on high alert about tonight, and although Logan sounded normal on the phone, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was up, besides the obvious.   
  
She bit her lip as the blocks passed by swiftly and she finally arrived back at her apartment. It took little effort to drag the light bicycle up the stairs, and she leaned it against the wall. She took a short detour through her kitchen to get a glass of water before collapsing back onto the sofa.  
  
First things first, she had to take a bath. Then came figuring out what to wear. Max shook her head.  
  
"God I hate dating."  
  
//Especially when nothing can come of it.//  
  
End Part One 


	2. The Games We Play

A/N: I'm glad to see that most of you seem to be enjoying the fic so far. :) Many thanks for all your kind reviews; it's a great pleasure to pop in and see so many kind words for Fight or Flight. :) I do apologize again for the slow rate at which this story is being posted, but hopefully my muse is picking up so the rate of posting should pick up too at some point in the future. I'm aiming to have this poor little fic finished within a month or so, but we'll just have to see what happens.  
  
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)  
  
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.  
  
  
  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
  
Part Two: The Games We Play  
  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
Candlelight flickered in the tiny bathroom as Max slowly lowered herself into the luxurious hot water, filled with an over flow of soapy bubbles. A low purr built in the back of her throat as she sank deeper, allowing herself to fall below the surface before coming back up and easing her head back against the rim of the tub.  
  
As always, while she allowed herself to relax in the scented water, her mind drifted to Logan. Max's world had changed upon her return from Manticore; she was harder, tougher, and that much more bitter, but she'd spent months counting on the fact that Logan would be there when she got out. Her feelings hadn't changed during her time away, if anything they'd grown stronger.  
  
Even now, as she closed her eyes and sighed into the warmth surrounding her, Max could remember every detail of that moment when she was at last able to set eyes on him once again. She relived every tingle of pleasure that swept through her body as he turned towards her. She could see every emotion he possessed as it flickered across his beautiful face. She could almost taste the disbelief that passed through them as his hands rose to her face, his blue eyes searching her brown for answers to questions she could barely begin to understand. Her heart beat quickened as he pulled her to him, thudding so loudly in her chest she felt both pain and exhilaration as his lips swept down to claim hers in a soul wrenching kiss filled with three months worth of pain, desire, sorrow and blessed joy.  
  
No matter what Manticore had done to her, nothing, not even the virus bitch from hell, could take that single moment away from Max. Yes, the virus had changed everything only minutes later, but they had those few seconds to convey every thought and feeling each possessed, and Max treasured that memory.  
  
Even now, months later, endless doctors and blood tests merged into one long period of research and failure, Max held onto those brief moments as a lifeline. Somehow, no matter how hard she tried to make it otherwise, a certain pair of piercing blue eyes continued to haunt her dreams and possess her thoughts. When she should have been thinking of Rafer, it was Logan's voice she heard. When she could have been out making the night of some random hotboy, it was Logan's penthouse to where she turned. When it came down to her brother or the man she couldn't have, it was her brother she'd killed. Sure, technically Zack's body was out there somewhere, living and moving on, but Zack, himself, was trapped far out of reach, dead to Max, and hopefully Manticore and all others interested, for life.  
  
Max allowed herself to sink back under the water once again as thoughts ran rampant through her mind. As confusing as it was, Logan was the only constant in her life: her beacon, the prize waiting for her when they finally came to the end of this biblical test of patience, and Max couldn't fight that. Try as she may, she couldn't stop the leap in her heart when he invited her over, though she tried to cover her excitement with her general sarcastic demeanor. Logan wanted to see her. Tonight, there would be no Asha, no Manticore, no Ames White, no psychotic transgenics, and no Eyes Only. Maybe for a few hours they could just be human, enjoy each other's company, if from a distance, and have one single normal night.  
  
Max broke the surface and climbed out of the tub.   
  
//A normal night. Exactly what I need.//  
  
Still, her conscience picked at her. //We'll never have a normal night. Not when it comes down to a single brush of skin being the cause of a violent, painful death.//  
  
She sighed. Somehow, virus or not, she was going over to the penthouse and she was going to enjoy herself.  
  
****  
  
Logan set the last touches to the table in the dining room, lighting the row of candles that decorated the table's center. He filled the wine glasses, carrying them with him as he returned to the kitchen, setting them on the island, which he cleaned off while he waited.  
  
He heard the elevator begin climbing the stories of Fogle Towers long before the doors opened and as he spun to greet Max his heartbeat quickened. She greeted his open gaze with a grin, admiring the loose fitting slacks he'd slipped on over the exosuit, and the dark turtleneck sweater that adorned the muscles of his upper body. At the same time, Logan's numbed mind took in the low cut, form fitting red sweater Max wore over her hip hugging jeans. For a moment they stood in silence, allowing the mere presence of the other overwhelm their senses, before Max's grin widened and she stepped into the apartment. Her bomber jacket was casually slung over one arm while she ran her free hand through her dark hair, shaking loose stubborn snow turned water in the heat of the building.  
  
"Streets are a bitch."  
  
She walked past Logan into the kitchen, glancing curiously over at the stove, taking note of the glorious hint of garlic in the air, and the bubbling sauce on the burner. Her eyes turned to the glasses of wine as she dropped her jacket onto the island, and she lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Mine?"  
  
Logan blinked and found his voice once more, shaking his head as he smiled at her. "Yeah. Dinner should be ready in a few minutes." He watched as she picked up a glass and made a graceful jump to sit on the island. She held the glass out to him and cocked her head to the side.  
  
"You drinkin' or they both for me?"  
  
He chuckled softly and reached out for the glass, allowing one long finger for a brief moment brush over her fabric covered wrist. Unable to help themselves, they both sighed at the slight contact.  
  
"Careful." She warned softly, the humor fading from her dark eyes as she met his gaze.  
  
"Always."  
  
"Bullshit."  
  
He grinned. For long minutes, silence once again filled the penthouse. Logan cleared his throat, moving to the stove in a pretense of stirring the pasta sauce that was beginning to pop and spurt. "So you were saying Normal was being his usual charming self today?"  
  
"Yeah." Max glanced down into her glass, finding her day to be a most uninteresting topic of conversation.  
  
"So how'd you manage to get out early?" He tried again, moving to stand behind her as he reached for several spices that remained on the island.  
  
She shrugged. "Cindy covered for me." Max smiled suddenly, spinning on the counter, startled to find Logan mere inches away. "I... oh!"  
  
She stumbled backwards quickly, trying to avoid touching Logan directly. In pure reaction Logan reached out, gripping the front of her sweater as she began to slip over the edge of the island. He held onto her firmly, however, as she wrestled to stabilize herself without risking Logan's life. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered how he could be so calm, but when her hands found her weight and she was again sitting solidly on the island, and Logan didn't move away, intelligent thought became more and more difficult to maintain.  
  
He smiled down at her, his fingers releasing her sweater but still maintaining contact with her body. Max's every nerve screamed as Logan's thumb began to move in slow, lazy circles across her stomach. She shivered quietly, her eyes drifting shut as she allowed herself the momentary pleasure of Logan's touch, even through the soft fabric of her clothing.  
  
It took long moments before her mind registered the loss of his hand, and with a sigh her eyes fluttered open once more. Logan's sparkling blue gaze met hers, her own eyes deepening in color as her heart ached to regain his sweet caress. Instead, she sighed.  
  
"I don't know what your definition of careful is, oh, great journalist, but if that was it, remind me to buy you a dictionary."  
  
Logan shook his head, a half smile gracing his features. "Sometimes you're too sarcastic for your own good, Max. Relax and let yourself enjoy a minute here and there, might do you some good."  
  
She shrugged. "And might get you killed."  
  
He turned away, his eyes still sparkling as he desperately held his tongue against informing her of the cure. If all was to work out the way he hoped, Max had to stay in the dark for a while longer. Logan planned on making sure that Max remembered exactly what it was they had between them before he let her know that everything they'd dreamed was finally possible. He had no intention on allowing her to walk out of his life when her fear of happiness overwhelmed her; when he finally told her, when he finally allowed what was building up between them to bubble over into all that they had been waiting for, there would be no room for fear. Max would know only love.  
  
"Just practicing for when this is all over." He glanced over his shoulder and his eyes twinkled brilliantly in her direction.  
  
"Damn, Logan, were you bit by a happy bug or something? You're almost giddy."  
  
"So?"  
  
She grimaced. "So, you're scaring the hell outta me. Stop it."  
  
He chuckled softly and turned down the heat on the sauce. He quickly drained the pasta and slid it onto the waiting plates. A flick of his wrist added sauce, and one last quick movement adorned the sauce with grated cheese. Max relaxed as again she inhaled the delicate scent of the well-cooked pasta, and her stomach grumbled loudly. Logan lifted an eyebrow as he gave her one last grin.  
  
"Sounds like the food's ready right on time."  
  
Max paused, bit her lip, and then shrugged as she jumped down from the island. "You know me, insatiable."  
  
Logan coughed softly on a sip of wine, his eyes watering as he fought his immediate response to the many ways the word insatiable could be taken. When he finally glanced over at Max, meeting her gaze with his own, her eyes were sparkling mischievously. //So that's the way you want to play it, Max? Tease and run?//  
  
"Mmm, between you and Asha, I've now known a few women to share that particular attribute." //Chew on that for a minute.//  
  
Matching grins spread across their faces as at first Max's eyes darkened with momentary jealousy before she caught on. //Got me that time, Cale.// She walked up to him, removing her plate of pasta from the counter, a low sound building in her chest, increasing in volume as she passed him by. Unable to find another word to describe the noise, Logan swallowed hard, his fingernails digging into the flesh of his palms as he allowed her purr to wash over him, seducing his mind.  
  
//Very good, Max. Play me in a way I can't strike back.// He sighed, taking his own plate in one hand as he approached her, allowing his free hand to settle against her back, making sure the fabric of her sweater came between their skin at all times. He stroked his hand slowly over her spine, his fingers sending shiver after shiver through her body as she struggled to control her suddenly extremely active hormones. Logan leaned in close to her body, his breath whispering against her flesh. "You win this round, Max, but I'll win the game". His voice was controlled when he spoke next, his sparkling eyes the only clue he gave to prove the last minutes had indeed happened. "So, aside from Normal, how was your day?"  
  
Max glanced at him incredulously, unable to find her voice as she sat down hard behind the table, resting her food before her.   
  
//What the hell are you up to, Logan Cale?//  
  
Bereft of any other response, Max met his gaze, allowing an unsure smile to cross her features as she shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, mine too. Things have been pretty quiet on the Eyes Only front lately." He sighed.   
  
"Streets too. I think it's that "good will to all men" shit leftovers. Or maybe it's the snow. Who knows, but I'm not complaining. I haven't had this much downtime since I broke into this joint." Max flashed him a smile to make sure he knew she was kidding.  
  
"Does that mean you'd have no objection to joining me for dinner tomorrow night, then?"  
  
Max paused, a forkful of pasta frozen en route to her mouth. "I guess. Was just plannin' on kickin' back with Original Cindy, 'n maybe taking the bike for a winter blaze, but I suppose one more night ain't gonna matter much."  
  
"Good, because I've got a surprise for you, but if you're not going to come to dinner, maybe I won't give it to you."  
  
At that, Max's eyes lit up, undisguised curiosity filling her features. "What kinda surprise?" Her eagerness was drastically muted in comparison to the last time Logan had enticed her to dinner with a similar line, but the sparkle in her gaze was enough to relay her excitement at the concept of a surprise.  
  
"Are you coming to dinner?"  
  
"Yes! Now what's my surprise?"  
  
"You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out, Max."  
  
She sighed, pushing her pasta around her plate before taking another bite. Logan's surprises were nothing like those of her youth; there would be no midnight crawl through ice water filled mud trenches, no death and no pain, and the thought of Logan thinking enough of her to arrange something special warmed Max thoroughly.   
  
Logan knew the first step in his plan had been a success when Max met his gaze a moment later, and her warm brown eyes were filled with pleasure. She didn't know what he had in store for her, but her thrill in him making the effort was a step in the right direction.  
  
He matched her smile with one of his own, his blue eyes revealing nothing of his plan to her except for promises of many surprises to come.  
  
End Part Two 


	3. Conspiracy Theory

A/N: Glad to see everyone is still reading. :P Be a few days before the next part is posted, but we'll see where it goes from there. :) Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, and keep the guess work and ideas coming. LOL My muse needs all the inspiration she can get. :P I'm aiming to have this poor little fic finished within a month or so, but we'll just have to see what happens.  
  
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)  
  
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.  
  
  
  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
  
Part Three: Conspiracy Theory  
  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
"S'up, boo?"  
  
Max rolled to her side, glancing up at Original Cindy as her roommate's shadow appeared in Max's bedroom doorway.  
  
Max shrugged. "Dunno."  
  
"Okay, that ain't the face of a girl who spent last evening hangin' at her sugar's. Straight up, Max, your boy bein' an idiot again? 'Cause if he is, you know you can count on Original Cindy to get your back. 'Tween you 'n me, boy won't know what came down on his ass."  
  
Max frowned and shook her head. "No, it's not that."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"I don't know. Something's changed, but I can't put my finger on it."  
  
"For the good or bad?"  
  
Max shrugged helplessly. "For the good, I guess, in a way. He's starting to come on stronger; I mean, I swear last night was a *real* date. It was just weird."  
  
Original Cindy grinned. "And you're not down with that?"  
  
"Am I the only one that remembers a little thing we like to refer to as painful death by retrovirus?" Max sighed, rolling onto her back.  
  
Original Cindy moved to sit on Max's bed beside her, curling her legs underneath her body. "Boo, you got a problem."  
  
"I know, he just doesn't..."  
  
"I'm not talkin' about Logan. See, way I see it is this: your boy is tryin' to do the good here. Take a step forward. Remind you how things were before this bitch evolved and ruined things. Then there's my boo who's too chicken shit to give life a chance 'n just go with the flow. You keep forgettin' what Original Cindy's been tellin' ya, Max; you'll kick this soon, but what's the point if you ain't gonna be able to use it?"  
  
Max stared at the ceiling silently for a few minutes, chewing on her lower lip as she thought over everything Cindy had to say. "Thing is, what if we go for it and we never find a cure? What happens then? We spend the rest of our lives staring at each other wishing for what we can't have? I know Logan's trying to give me hope, but straight up, girl, hope sucks. All that it'll give me is disappointment."  
  
"You tellin' me you givin' up hope entirely?"  
  
Max shook her head, rolling off her mattress to get to her feet and walk towards her doorway. She paused a moment, looking back at Original Cindy who remained sitting on Max's bed. "Nah, girl, I'm saying that I never had it to begin with. We tried, we failed, we'll try again, we'll fail again. If one of these days we try and it works, then great, I'll be your regular little happy go giddy transgenic mutant, but until then, at least I won't get hurt."  
  
Original Cindy sighed as she watched Max walk into the kitchen and begin rummaging through their nearly bare refrigerator. She was on her feet moments later, a hand on Max's shoulder turning the younger girl towards her. "You foolin' yourself, boo. You think you ain't gonna be hurt if you don't get this bitch kicked? What do you think's happenin' now? You hurtin' so damn deep down inside maybe you don't see it yet, but you gonna 'n when you do you gonna know it. Least if you play it Logan's way, when that hurt comes out 'n bites you in the ass, y'all've had some time together. Life ain't a game, boo. You can't win or lose, you can only live."  
  
Max sighed, blinking back tears that were threatening to spill regardless of her emotional barriers. She brushed a hand across her eyes, pressing the back of it to her forehead as she met Cindy's concerned gaze. "So you're saying I should go to dinner?"  
  
"Mmhmm."  
  
"And that I should be nice?"  
  
"You got it, sugar."  
  
Max shook her head, "You tryin' to win the job of fairy godmother?"  
  
Original Cindy laughed softly, running her fingers through her wild hair. "Nah, just lookin' out for my own, know what I mean?"  
  
Max chuckled suddenly. "With my luck, just as I get all into this Asha'll show up or some shit."  
  
Cindy's laughter doubled, and she tossed an apple in Max's direction as she made her way back to her bedroom. "You know what, Max? The blonde wannabe shows, you put the smack down on her. Stake your claim, boo, aiight?"  
  
Max smiled, the tension beginning to ease from her tiny frame as she bit into the apple. "Aiight."  
  
"Okay, bonding period over. We gotta get our asses movin' or Normal's gonna fire 'em before we even walk through the door."  
  
"I hear ya."  
  
Together they moved through the apartment, changing and gathering their things for the day ahead. Tuesdays at Jam Pony sucked, the slowest day in the week for deliveries. Neither Max nor Original Cindy had any doubt that by noon they'd be sitting in the main room, twiddling their thumbs, waiting for Normal to call them lazy idiots and send them home.  
  
*****  
  
Max noticed when the conversation shifted while she sat pretending to watch the television later that day. Sketchy had returned from a pickup only minutes before, and since then more and more people had been gathering around him. It wasn't the muted voices that caught Max's attention, however, but the furtive looks in her direction as Sketchy spoke of whatever it was he was sitting on. Max shook her head and got to her feet, stalking towards her friends with an expression of impatience written across her features.  
  
"What sick rumors you spreadin' now, Sketch?" Max asked, cocking her hip out to one side as her eyes darkened with suspicion.  
  
Sketchy held his hands up in a display of innocence. "Wasn't sayin' a word, Max."  
  
"I turn 'round and hear that I been doing disgusting things to parts of your body I don't want to mention, those body parts ain't gonna exist tomorrow, get me?"  
  
He nodded quickly, backing away into the crowd as a few people around them began to chuckle. The group dispersed, ignoring Normal's constant barrage of insults as they returned to lounging in wait for something better to do.  
  
Max watched Sketchy curiously for a few moments as a new group began to gather around him, before she sighed and leaned against the lockers. Original Cindy showed up moments later, leaning beside Max. "Way to beat the fool down, boo. What trash he talkin' now?"  
  
Max shrugged. "Dunno, wasn't in the mood to eavesdrop. 'Sides, not sure I ever wanna hear what comes outta his mouth behind my back."  
  
"Boy's a moron, straight up, but Sketchy has his limits. Give him a chance, Max, maybe this time he did something right." Original Cindy winked at her young friend and rejoined the group around the television. Max considered joining her, taking a step towards her gathered co-workers, stopped only by the irritatingly familiar tone in Normal's voice.  
  
"Max! Hot run. So if it isn't too much to ask of you, get your ass over here and earn your pay for a change."  
  
"Right, like the last four runs I did through foot deep snow weren't enough to earn what you pay me, Normal."  
  
"Listen here, little missy, are you refusing a run, thereby refusing a job with the highly respected institute of Jam Pony?"  
  
Max bit back a scathing reply, and instead forced a patronizing smile onto her face. "I'm not refusing, Normal, I'm on break. When I'm off break, I will go on another run."  
  
"Suit yourself, Max. 'Course, if you're gonna break now, I guess that means you're working till close tonight."   
  
Max shot him a look of disgust, almost ready to ignore him when she remembered she had to be at Logan's for eight. If she stayed till last run, she'd never make it to Fogle Towers on time for their dinner, and suddenly Max didn't want to let Logan down once again. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She stalked over to him and ripped the package out of his hands.   
  
He raised an eyebrow at her and held out his clipboard. "I need a signature."  
  
Max stared at him in disbelief. "I think I know my job by now. You'll get your signature when I get back."  
  
He shook his head. "I don't think so, Max." He raised his voice. "Unlike the miscreants you work with, *I* get a signature when I hand something over to a receiver. Now, sign the sheet and get out of my sight. I'm sick of watching you slacking off. Come back tomorrow when you're ready to actually work."  
  
Max's eyes searched his for some sign of whatever joke was obviously about to fall on her head, but saw nothing beyond Normal's regular uninterested expression. She shrugged suddenly, signed the receipt, and took her package back towards the locker. She was barely half way there when Original Cindy cut her off once again, keeping pace with Max's quick step.  
  
"So? You gonna open it, or you gonna stare at the package and just wonder what it is?"  
  
Max shrugged, cocking her head as Sketchy came up on the other side of her.   
  
"See, Max, I told you I wasn't talkin' trash. Was just wondering what was in the box."  
  
"Why does everyone care so much what's in it?"  
  
Cindy laughed, nudging her shoulder into Max's. "C'mon, boo, quit kiddin' yourself. You know well as Original Cindy that your boy sent that to you. Even if Sketch ain't been tellin' anyone with ears the story of pickin' it up from Logan's crib, Original Cindy ain't stupid enough not to guess."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, open the damn package, girl, 'n let's see what you got!"  
  
Max laughed, shrugging her off. "It's probably a run down on something he wants me to do before going over there tonight."  
  
Cindy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, 'n that's why he gave Normal an envelope filled with cold hard cash to let you off early. Boo, ain't no-one willin' to toss off a c-note without good cause."  
  
"I hate to leave ya'll hangin', really, but I think this'll wait till I get home." Max smiled slowly, pulling her backpack and coat out of her locker.   
  
Sketchy groaned, leaning back against the lockers. "That's just wrong, Max."  
  
Max lifted her eyebrow, shrugging softly. "The world is wrong, Sketch, get used to it."  
  
She turned on her heel and moved quickly to the door, catching Normal's nod on her way out. Whatever, if Normal wanted to play at being human for a day, who was she to argue? She could feel Original Cindy moving up behind her and heard Normal call Max's roommate back. Max was forced to laugh as Cindy shot Normal down, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she was bagging with her boo, and not to say a word about it if he valued his external body parts.  
  
Cindy wrapped her arm around Max's shoulders as they moved towards their bikes, lifting the light package out of her young friend's hands. "So, how 'bout we crack this bitch open 'n find out just how serious your boy actually is?"  
  
End Part Three 


	4. A Thousand Words

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are all so wonderful with your reviews that I can't thank you enough. Seems every review this story receives, I suddenly find the will to write another paragraph or two; amazing how the psyche works, isn't it? Thank you all for being the lifeforce upon which my muse feeds.  
  
The next part will take a bit longer to get out: seems I'm stalled a bit half way through, but we'll see what happens.   
  
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)  
  
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.  
  
  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
  
Part Four: A Thousand Words  
  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
Max and Original Cindy waited until they got back to their apartment before turning their attention to the package that now rested on the table in front of them. Max peered at it apprehensively, reaching a hand out and then drawing it back just as quickly.  
  
"I'm not sure I really want to know what's in this."  
  
Cindy shrugged and leaned back against the sofa. "How bad can it be, boo? Worst thing can happen's it's an engagement ring."  
  
Max groaned and brought a hand to her forehead. "You had to say it didn't you? What'm I supposed to do if it is a ring?"  
  
Original Cindy grinned and nudged Max with her shoulder. "Marry the boy 'n live the high life in his tower in the sky?"  
  
"So not funny."  
  
Cindy's laughter was loud as she leaned forward and picked the box up off the table, tossing at Max who had no choice other than to catch it unless she wanted it dropped on the floor. Max glared at her friend as Cindy continued to laugh before finally taking in a deep breath. "Just open it, Max. Think the waitin's worse than findin' out. 'Sides, boo, the box's too damn big to be a ring."  
  
Max sighed, finally finding the courage to begin slowly tearing away the brown paper that wrapped the box. Below that paper she was frustrated to find yet another layer of wrapping paper, only this time the paper was lightly decorated with a mixing of white, pink and red swirls of color. Max snorted at the whimsical design while Cindy continued to laugh harder.  
  
"Can't say the boy ain't love struck now, sugar."  
  
"Whatever." Max's eyes darkened, but even Original Cindy couldn't miss the sudden glint of girlish pleasure that softened her younger friend's gaze.  
  
Contrary to her nature, Max opened the colorful paper with a delicate touch, careful not to tear the expensive piece of wrapping as she fought to remove the small box inside. Finally, however, her gift was freed from its confinements and the only step left was to slip it out of the small white box that sat in her lap. She breathed in deeply, bracing herself for whatever Logan had cooked up, and slid the top off the box. Her gasp filled the room and Cindy snapped her head up, reading Max's expression expertly.  
  
"Boy did good, eh, boo?"  
  
Max blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears that suddenly misted her vision as she nodded silently. Cindy moved closer to Max, bumping shoulders with her as she peered into the box. Rested amongst soft pieces of pink, white and red tissue paper was a delicate silver frame encasing a single five by seven photograph. Cindy frowned, cocking her head to the side.  
  
"When was that taken?"  
  
"The wedding Logan dragged me to last year." Max continued to blink quickly as she stared down at the picture, remembering the happier moments that she and Logan had shared a year ago before her return to Manticore, before the virus, and before their stubborn personalities had managed to get in their way. Max could honestly say that she couldn't remember this picture being taken, but judging by the way she was peering at Logan in the photograph, her mind had been otherwise occupied. Logan was in his wheelchair, smiling, half at Max, half in the direction of the photographer. Max, on the other hand, was profiled in the picture, her body turned towards Logan, her hand resting on his knee as whatever he'd just said had brought a gentle smile to her lips. As long as it had taken them to admit their ever growing feelings for each other, Max had to admit that anyone who looked at this picture would be hard pressed to prove that Max and Logan weren't, at the very least, on their way to falling in love.  
  
"Damn, girl, I ain't never seen a man put that much thought into something. Especially when there ain't no real reason for doin' it." Original Cindy stared at the picture in amazement for a few moments, observing Max's uncustomary emotional reaction. "When you get this virus bitch kicked, Max, you owe that boy some serious booty."  
  
Max lowered her eyes as a light red stained her cheeks and she gently picked up the photograph. With a half smile at Cindy, Max moved into her bedroom, glancing at her sparse furnishings before clearing a spot on her dresser to rest the beautiful frame. A year ago the urge to hawk something so valuable would be near to overwhelming, but, now, Max couldn't imagine ever parting with it. Logan had taken something simple and made it precious, and for that, Max knew she'd never be able to fully thank him.  
  
******  
  
Logan paced the penthouse slowly. Then he paced quickly. By the time his phone rang, he was nearly jogging from one end of his home to the other as his nerves refused to allow him a moment's peace. He knew that sending Max that picture was pushing things, but the gifts he had planned for the next several days were far beyond a simple photograph, and he needed to know that something with as much feeling behind it as that picture held would be welcomed rather than rejected by his genetically enhanced partner in all things unfamiliar.  
  
He'd found himself faced with a moment of indecision when it was Sketchy who appeared on his doorstep earlier in the day. Logan met the younger man's agape expression as the messenger was invited into the classy penthouse while Logan put the finishing touches on Max's present. Logan had heard Max's stories about Sketchy's unreliable history, but once sworn to secrecy and responsibility through threats and a twenty dollar bill, Logan knew the packages he was sending back to Jam Pony would arrive in the hands of the people to whom they were addressed.   
  
Now, long hours after Logan expected Max to have called, his phone was finally ringing and he suddenly found himself hesitant to respond. What if she hated the photograph? What if she was going to cancel dinner? What if she was running afraid once again? Max was genetically engineered to be a perfect soldier. She had the courage of mythical heroes and the strength of creatures unknown, but when it came to her heart, Max was a fight or flight girl. Her fear in matters of emotion left Logan on uncertain ground, and now, as he stared at the phone ringing in his hand, he hesitated.  
  
When enough rings had passed that he risked sending the call to his answering machine, Logan hit the call button on his phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Ah, hey." Logan couldn't keep the trepidation from slipping into his voice as he silently searched Max's tone for any hint as to what she was feeling.  
  
"Was just callin' to see if you wanted me to pick anything up before I came over. I'm guessin' that since you paid off Normal to get me home, you want me over there earlier than usual."  
  
"Oh, ah, anytime you want really. And, no, not unless you think of anything special you want." Logan knew his voice was shaking; he could hardly ignore that fact when his hands were keeping time with the tremor in his tone. She'd given no indication as to what she thought about the picture, and although not canceling dinner was a good sign it wasn't enough to set him at ease.  
  
"Okay, if you're sure. Anything else, or are we good?"  
  
Logan's heart fell and he swallowed deeply, hoping his disappointment wouldn't be apparent. "We're good, Max. See you soon?"  
  
"'Course, we've got a date, don't we?" He heard her sigh into the phone, shifting quickly, leaving Logan's mind to fill in the image of her pulling her legs under her as she settled on her mattress, making herself comfortable. In the momentary silence that followed, Logan began to panic once more, wishing more than anything that he could figure out exactly what it was Max was thinking. Finally, she spoke, very softly, causing him to blink and shake his head, missing what she had said.  
  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
  
"I said, thank you." He heard her lips curving into a smile, her voice softening as her words made their way past his mental barriers to fill his mind.  
  
"Thank you?"  
  
She laughed softly, her voice suddenly so shy and insecure that Logan's heart went out to her. "Thank you. No one's ever given me anything that's got as much meaning as this picture 'n I don't really know everything you're trying to say with it, but I want you to know that I haven't forgotten. I love it."  
  
Logan smiled, the pain in his chest the only indication he had that, for a moment, his heart had ceased to beat. Everything within him was leaping for joy, his mind racing ahead to what tomorrow's present would be, and what the future was going to hold for them, but he brought himself back to reality quickly. Unable to find words to express his pleasure, he merely held the phone tighter and nodded to the walls of his empty apartment.   
  
"It's only the beginning, Max."  
  
The silence that carried over the line made him pause, but rather than the flight he was expecting, he heard her soft breath skip and then continue uninterrupted as she formulated what she wanted to say. "How can you always believe, Logan? How can you sit there knowing what's between us and believe that we're going to turn a page one day and everything'll be okay?"  
  
"If I didn't believe, there would be no sense to my being here." His mind flashed back to a day many months before when he sat in the room in which he now stood and came close to pressing a gun to his temple and ending it permanently. "Don't worry, Max, I'll believe enough for us both, for now."  
  
She smiled. "I'll hold you to that."  
  
"Just get dressed and get your ass over here." He chuckled softly, knowing that the tone in his voice would cause her to bristle, but in a good-natured fashion.  
  
"Yes, sir." Her eyebrow lifted, and although he couldn't see her, he could picture the expression on her face perfectly. Logan grinned widely.  
  
He heard her shift once again and he knew she was about to hang up the phone, so he raised his voice one last time, his expression sobering quickly. "Hey, Max?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
He smiled. "You're welcome."  
  
The silence that ended the conversation was not unwelcome or uncomfortable, it was merely the way Max and Logan communicated. There were days that they could say every word they meant and be completely misunderstood, and then there were times like this very instant when the silence between them spoke more than any verbal conversation could relay.  
  
When Logan finally laid the phone back onto his desk, the hesitation and uncertainty that had filled him only ten minutes before no longer existed. Max's immediate acceptance and understanding of his gift gave him the foundation that he needed to push their relationship yet another step further. Max was afraid of all that he was saying, that much was apparent, but she was open to his advances and to the feelings that came with them.  
  
That alone was enough to give Logan more hope for their future than he'd had since only minutes after he'd realized she was alive.  
  
End Part Four. 


	5. Soon Enough

A/N: Okay, people, here it is. I am not a poet. I'll never be a poet. My poems bite the bad monkey in a big way. BUT... some silver tongued peeps talked me into using this sad little poem in this story, so I have to apologize for it. In advance. Many many times over. Please forgive me? I swear that after this you'll never be inflicted with my poetry again.  
  
It'll definately be at least a few days before the next part goes up as I haven't exactly even started it yet. LOL Sorry about that, but, hey, I have Sunday off work, so if my muse is being co-operative, perhaps it won't be too long before part six is ready. :P  
  
Gods, I love you all with your wonderful reviews. I swear my muse is a review vampire, she survives soley on the kind words you wonderful people see fit to shower upon her. LOL I thank you for breathing life into her, as she needs all the help she can get. She's such an evil, nasty thing, but she seems to be going strong for now, and that's all thanks to you. :)  
  
One major thanks goes to Aquila for all her help. The poor girl has put up with phone calls, emails, and desperate messages pleading for help on this fic. So, thanks, girl, without you I have a feeling I'd still be stuck half way through this chapter whining about where I'm supposed to be taking this. **G** Now, wtf am I doing with the next one?? LOL  
  
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)  
  
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.  
  
  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
  
Part Five: Soon Enough  
  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
When Max arrived at Logan's penthouse just over an hour later, she stood outside the door feeling suddenly ridiculous. It wasn't that she'd done anything special for their evening; she wore her normal hip hugging jeans and tonight had a black form-fitting sweater clinging to her body, but she'd allowed Original Cindy to add soft curls into her recently straightened hair. Max was actually pleased with the softening effect the curls had on her face, hiding the shadow of doubt that existed in her eyes.  
  
When she'd looked into the mirror after Original Cindy finished with her hair, Max had been surprised to see a nearly familiar face peering back, a face she hadn't seen since before she'd returned to Manticore. Her time back at the compound had toned her body, wearing away what little flesh existed on her beautiful frame. Her face had thinned out and she'd lost the somewhat cherubic visage to which she'd grown accustomed. When she'd first returned, it took a long time to get used to the stranger that mirrored her challenging gaze in all reflective surfaces; her body visualized the loss she felt deep inside. She'd never been what could be called innocent, but anything pure she'd managed to hold onto throughout her life had been drained from her in her months at Manticore. The new layer of muscle toning her body was again a visual conception of the war within her heart; the Max Logan knew before did still exist, but was buried under the layers of protection she'd built around her. Two things had kept Max sane while captured, whether through endless hours of training or through the long week she'd spent in the dark: hungry, thirsty, willing herself not to break and give Renfro the satisfaction of knowing Max would be hers. Two things had kept Max from becoming 452 and forgetting the world that existed outside the compound walls. One of those two things was waiting for her behind the thin door that Max now faced. The other was the woman Max had become through her years of freedom.  
  
Her fingers nervously smoothed her sweater over her body and she opened Logan's door, quietly moving inside. Max knew that Logan cared for her, but she worried that he was in love with who she'd been a year ago. She'd grown up in three months; she could only hope that Logan would be able to see past this harder version of herself, and realize that the girl still existed within the soldier.  
  
She stood in the hallway in silence, amusing herself with the sound of Logan as he passed from his bathroom to his bedroom. Her footsteps made no noise as she slipped up to his bedroom door, a small smile crossing her features as she watched shirt after shirt sail onto his bed from the direction of his closet. Her eyebrows lifted and her breathing deepened when he rolled into her sight, his back to her, and she was greeted by his naked shoulders. Strong muscles rippled beneath his flesh as he lifted his arms over his head, pulling on an off white sweater, staring indignantly at the stack of abandoned clothing that hid his expensive comforter.  
  
Max brought a hand to her mouth to smother the fit of laughter threatening to overwhelm her, grateful, however, for the distraction of humor from growing desire. She turned silently, then, making her way into the living room, sitting back on the sofa, masking her emotions with a well-practiced expression of calm. She watched the hallway, waiting long minutes for Logan to appear, and when he did, she smiled softly.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Laughter ruined her calm demeanor as Logan's body leaped, his unmoving lower half the only thing keeping him firmly in his chair. "Christ! Max, how long have you been sitting there?"  
  
She shrugged, relaxing her expression back into a small smile. "A while."  
  
"Why didn't you say something? You scared the shit out of me!"  
  
"You seemed... otherwise occupied." She winked at him softly, her smile widening. "So, what's for dinner?"  
  
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Since I wasn't expecting you to be here so early, you're going to have to help yourself to a glass of wine while I slip into the exosuit."  
  
"S'cool." She flashed him another grin, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "No hurry, tho. I've kinda missed the chair. Makes me feel taller."  
  
He snorted. "You just like pushing me around."  
  
"Damn straight." Her soft laughter sent his pulse racing, and a low shiver traveled through him. They'd rarely engaged in teasing about his paralysis, the lack of movement in his lower body always being a sore subject for him, but somehow, tonight, he couldn't bring himself to mind. Anything was worth Max's laughter.  
  
She climbed to her feet, pausing to smile down at him as she passed him by. "You want wine?"  
  
"If you wouldn't mind."  
  
"Just hurry up and change. It's pathetic to drink alone."  
  
He chuckled once again. "You're anything but pathetic, Max."  
  
She grinned ruefully. "Only in your eyes. To the rest of the world, I'm just a pathetic science experiment gone wrong."  
  
"Maybe." She snapped around, her eyes widening in surprise, not expecting him to agree with her. His sparkling blue eyes twinkled merrily as he popped the chair up, slowly rocking back and forth before turning and making his way down the hallway. "But you're a science experiment gone wrong, with great hair." He turned back and winked at her. "Missed the curls."  
  
Max swallowed her laughter, her heart swelling as Logan teased her. It had been far too long since they were this comfortable around each other. Logan didn't miss the look of pleasure that filled her eyes as he glanced over his shoulder at her, surprised and touched by the moisture making her dark eyes shine in the low light of his home.  
  
If his legs could move, Logan would have kicked himself for being so stubborn as to push her away far enough to hurt her as deeply as he obviously had. When something small like a joke about her hair made her so happy, Logan knew things had gone too far. He cursed himself silently but vowed also to make it up to her, no matter how long it may take.  
  
****  
  
An hour later found Max and Logan sitting across the dinner table from each other. Every so often, Logan would find his gaze traveling upwards, his eyes taking in the shadows cast across Max's features by the flickering candlelight. He smiled slightly whenever she'd glance up and catch his admiring glances, her skin deepening in color as she half blushed and lowered her eyes once again. It still amazed him how, after so much time had passed, they could still play this game of disbelief. Logan had long come to terms with his feelings towards Max; the problem was making up for the past months, and letting Max in on his great epiphany in a way that wouldn't have her running for the border. His fingers moved nervously as he pondered his next move, knowing what waited in the other room, but wondering if it was still too early to show Max.  
  
His mind had been overactive since finding out that the virus was no longer standing between them. Lying in bed, he couldn't free his mind of thoughts of Max; sitting at his desk was the same, as was cooking, working, writing and everything else. She dominated both his conscious and his subconscious so much that when he'd put pen to paper in the last days, the words had written themselves and were centered solely on Max.   
  
It hadn't been long since he'd introduced Max to his poetry, giving her a small taste of the words that filled his mind when his thoughts turned to her, but his book of musings had grown since that night. For the first time in quite a while, Logan felt ready to share part of those thoughts with her, and again he glanced up at her, swallowing nervously as he prepared himself for what was to come.  
  
When they finished with dinner, Logan stalled for a few minutes longer, clearing the table and setting the dishes to soak before he joined Max in the living room. As usual, he found her staring out over the city, her thoughts darkening her eyes as she sighed deeply before turning at the sound of the exoskeleton's hum.  
  
"The world that bad, Max?" He gave her a soft smile as he flicked his gaze towards the window and then back to her.  
  
"No worse than usual."  
  
"Then why the dark expression? No offense, Max, but you look like you're expecting the ceiling to fall in on us."  
  
Max's lips curved upwards but her gaze was hard. A tinge of bitterness edged into her voice as she spoke. "At this point, it wouldn't surprise me."  
  
"What does?"  
  
"Things going right."  
  
Logan sighed. Somehow during their journey through the last months, he'd missed the day that Max left behind her "it's all good" attitude and began to let things get to her. Her sarcasm was sharper these days, her bitterness more biting and her pessimism was slowly growing. Logan was beginning to wonder if he hadn't waited too long to let Max in on the secrets of his heart, but at this point there was no turning back. Max would either accept everything that Logan had to say and do over the days to come, or she wouldn't and they'd be back at square one. Either way, Logan had to know that, late or not, he'd at least tried to let her know that she is loved.  
  
"So, I guess I promised you a surprise, didn't I?" He gave her a quick wink and a warm smile, making her lips curve into a genuine grin.  
  
"I thought the picture was it. I'm gettin' more?"  
  
He shrugged. "A little tonight, maybe even more tomorrow if you're good."  
  
She grimaced. "Ugh, I have to be good?"  
  
He chuckled softly as the sparkle returned to her eyes, and once again Max relaxed. "Well, we'll see." He moved towards the doorway, Max following closely. He paused and turned, holding up a hand, making her stop in her tracks. "Just give me a minute, I'll meet you back out here."  
  
She shrugged and pouted, making her way back to the sofa and thumping down onto it, pulling her feet underneath her body. "Don't keep me waiting long."  
  
He laughed and shook his head. "Never."  
  
Logan moved into the computer room, pulling open the desk drawer and retrieving his book of poetry. His fingers clutched at the hardened cover compulsively as he suddenly began to doubt his choice of gifts. It was his latest poem that he wanted Max to read most desperately, a gold leaf bookmark placed upon the page it was located, and yet, again, he feared her reaction. He knew he couldn't back down, he'd promised himself that he would do everything possible to show her how he felt, but his poetry was a part of him very few people shared. He wanted her to read the poems and understand what he was trying to say, he wanted her to know the depth of emotion he felt towards her, but he also had to brace himself for the flight that would come. He knew that this time Max would run, he wasn't trying to convince himself otherwise, he just wondered if he was strong enough to finish the chase.  
  
He drew in a deep breath, pulling the book to his chest as he walked with a determined step towards the living room. Max glanced up immediately, raising her eyebrows and biting down on her lower lip as she scanned him for signs of her surprise. He couldn't help but chuckle at the look on her face as he grew closer, his thoughts shifting again, telling him that no matter how she reacted, he was ready to see this through till the end. He took a moment to ponder how confusing human thought patterns could be, conflicting from moment to moment, but Max's outstretched hands returned his thoughts to the moment.  
  
"Well?" She held her hands out expectantly, both eagerness and slight trepidation showing in her eyes, but she'd learned well from this morning, and she needed to know what it was Logan wanted to give her.  
  
He hesitated momentarily, biting the inside of his lower lip as his fingers caressed the book in his hands. He cleared his throat, and swallowed. "You once expressed an interest in my poetry," he cleared his throat again, shifting nervously. "If that interest still stands, I, ah, want you to have this." He lowered the book into her waiting hands, backing away once again, sitting across from her and running his fingers through his hair.  
  
Max glanced down at the book in shock, her own fingers playing across the cover in a delicate touch as she altered her gaze from the poetry to the man. "You're... you're giving me your poetry?"  
  
He nodded, shifting in discomfort. "That is if you, ah, still want it." Logan forced himself to swallow further words, forced himself to not allow her an out. He'd done what he'd intended, he'd given her the poetry and he refused to try and take it back. //Never get anywhere in this world without risks, Cale.//  
  
Uncertainty flashed across Max's features, a tinge of fear, and then something that Logan couldn't name began to grow in her eyes, spreading across her face until she very nearly glowed. It was then that she smiled, a beautiful, radiant smile, as she clutched the book to her chest. "I... I... thank you." Max found herself at a loss of words as she tried to find something to say to express what she was feeling, but when she looked into Logan's eyes and watched his own fear melt into relief and pleasure, she knew he understood. "Do you want me to read one now?"  
  
His eyes traveled down to the book, and he nodded slowly. "There's a bookmark."  
  
Max allowed her fingers to play across the golden leaf that marked the page, swallowed deeply, and then opened the book.  
  
~~~  
  
Soon Enough  
  
When darkness descends  
Comes my dark angel  
To the circle of awareness  
That is my life.  
  
She brings with her   
Beauty  
Pleasure  
Need  
Passion  
  
She lifts me out  
Of the chair that confines me  
Frees me from bonds  
That a bullet created.  
  
When I'm with her I can   
Dream  
Love  
Dance  
Live  
  
Impossible has no meaning  
When she is near  
Even while we're separated  
By invisible walls.  
  
Her touch means everything  
Pain  
Desire  
Life  
Death  
  
They can't poison our hearts  
As they have our bodies  
We're stronger than they know  
Tomorrow is soon enough.  
  
~~~   
  
Max read the poem in silence and then read it once again, allowing the words to sink in before she looked up to meet Logan's concerned gaze. Logan, for his part, was not unaware of the tension that built in Max's body as she sat in silence, and he prepared himself, once again, for Max to run.  
  
When she said nothing, merely staring at him with a thoughtful gaze, Logan shifted in his chair. Seconds passed, possibly a minute, possibly an hour, possibly a lifetime; Logan couldn't be sure how much time went by as he forced himself to keep meeting her gaze, all he knew was that one way or another, he wished she'd react so he could begin to cope.  
  
End Part Five 


	6. Breakdown

A/N: Well, this is the last chapter you guys are gonna get for a few days; I'm off to dabble into the realm of single motherhood with three demon children, all in the name of love. LOL Seriously, I'm off to baby sit for a friend so she can have a romantic getaway, so I won't be home till Wednesday. IOW: It'll be at least until then before part seven is posted.  
  
Again, thanks for all your reviews, I do appreciate each and every one of them. Thanks again goes to Aquila for her battle to keep me writing this when I almost gave up on it. She helped me plan out the fic till the end somehow, which means now I have to finish it, so everyone who cares, bow down to her! LOL! Also, a big thanks goes out to Charlotte W. Ross on this part for being the voice of Alec when I couldn't get a grip on him.  
  
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)  
  
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.  
  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
  
Part Six: Breakdown  
  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
Max couldn't identify the number of emotions swirling through her mind as she gazed into Logan's eyes, searching for something she couldn't explain. Brutal honesty faced her in Logan's crystal blue eyes; all his fear, his pain, his longing and she found herself softening towards him. The longer she allowed herself to linger in the depths of his gaze, the more she felt the sudden urge to flee fade away. Instead of climbing to her feet and running for the door, Max remained frozen in place, not by fear or indecision, but sudden understanding.   
  
Max had known that she wasn't alone in her pain, but she'd never realized before that moment how willing Logan was to wait. With their attitudes during the first months of her return, she'd believed herself better to hook up with Rafer, to forget everything she and Logan had started towards before Zack's arrival the night of their anniversary, and to believe that in the end nothing she felt was really that important. She'd never been fully able to smother those feelings, however, probably the main reason she sent Rafer packing the night he'd decided that they should take their tentative relationship beyond the bounds of friendship; somehow, even with Logan seeing Asha, Max once again slipping into Rafer's bed just seemed too much of a betrayal to the man she loved. Now, as she sat thoughtfully meeting his concerned gaze, Max evaded the decision he was asking her to make. Instead, she climbed to her feet, holding the book tight against her body.  
  
Logan's heart stopped as Max moved off the sofa, his face taking on a stricken expression before noticing that she wasn't moving towards the door, but towards the window. He swallowed with difficulty, opening his mouth soundlessly for a moment, before clearing his voice and trying again.  
  
"Max?"  
  
She raised her head, taking in the bright constellations of stars that shone in the dark sky. She didn't turn around, however, still struggling with the thoughts running rampant through her mind. Logan sighed soundlessly, his body tense as he watched Max for any sign of what she was thinking. It was long minutes, however, before Max turned back to face him.  
  
Her eyes were finally calm, freed from the controversy that warred in her mind, and she smiled at him softly. "The poem is lovely, Logan."  
  
Logan blinked in surprise, his eyes betraying his confusion as he watched her move through his apartment. "I'm glad you like it."  
  
Max moved into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She sat back down on the sofa and poured them each a glass, pushing Logan's glass across the table towards him as she leaned back and met his gaze once more. This time, however, she smiled at him immediately, putting Logan at ease. "So aside from feeding me and spoiling me, got anything planned for tomorrow?"  
  
Logan chuckled quietly, slightly disappointed that Max had chosen not to talk about their feelings, but not surprised. Instead of reacting to that disappointment, however, his mind shifted another plan into play, and he leaned back, crossing his hands over his chest. If Max wanted to under play what he was doing, he decided he'd just have to step things up another level. He hated having to push her towards something for which she may not be ready, but for her to understand how deeply he felt for her, he had to show her in every way possible.  
  
"Oh, nothing special." He shrugged slightly.  
  
Max's eyebrow lifted, even as a small, sad smile crossed her lips. "Nothing? Really? So all of this was just a tease?"  
  
He shrugged again, rolling his eyes as he matched her smile. "You'll have to wait and see, Max."  
  
She climbed to her feet, leaning over the coffee table so that only a foot of space separated their faces. "Patience isn't my best quality, Logan."  
  
He leaned forward, closing the space between them by precious inches. "Guess you're going to have to work on that, aren't you?"  
  
They remained in that position for a silent minute, each stubbornly refusing to look away as their gazes warred the battle their words began. Finally, Logan's eyes began to sparkle, his sense of humor ruining his serious expression, and Max was forced to grin and look away. She shook her head and turned away from him, heading towards the door.  
  
"I'm outta here. Page me if you need me."  
  
Logan swallowed the words that threatened to take advantage of Max's opening, wanting to tell her that he always needed her, just not for business reasons. Instead, he climbed to his feet and followed her towards the door.  
  
"I promised Asha I'd do some work on something the S1W is working on tomorrow, so you may not hear from me."  
  
Her eyes flashed disappointment, but she quickly covered the darkness with a smile. "No big dealio. Think Cindy's decided I've bailed on her permanent anyway."  
  
Logan's heart lurched at the look behind her eyes. He smiled down at her, resisting the urge to rest her cheek against the palm of his hand. "You're welcome to stop by after work if you'd like. We could raid the refrigerator and see what kind of culinary miracle we could create out of leftovers."  
  
She grinned and shook her head at him in amusement. "Maybe, we'll see. Probably just end up hanging at Crash."  
  
"The offer stands. Any time."  
  
"Got it."   
  
Max met his eyes with a smile and nod before slipping out of the apartment. Logan watched as she disappeared into the elevator, raising his hand in a parting wave. When the doors had closed, and Max had been gone for many minutes, he turned back into the apartment and looked around. No, he wasn't going to see her tomorrow unless she came over for dinner. He was going to give her a day to read over his poetry and think about everything he'd said and done so far.  
  
Besides, he had a bit of shopping to get through for Max's next surprise.  
  
*****  
  
When her pager never chimed the entire next day, Max found that she was disappointed. Logan had said he wouldn't likely have time to call, what with Asha's latest intel and all, but she'd hoped that she'd have some measure of contact with him throughout the day. Somehow in the last forty-eight hours, she'd managed to once again grow accustomed to relaxing in Logan's presence and letting the strain of the day wear away through idle conversation.  
  
Each time someone came in from a pick-up, Max would find herself edging towards the front desk, hoping the package was for her and that Logan had sent another surprise. Still, when the end of the day came and she hadn't heard from him, she sighed.   
  
"Normal, I'm outta here!"  
  
"Like I'd miss the lounging around you call work!"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Max sighed again and unlocked her bike, settling onto the seat and beginning the long ride back to her apartment. She'd gotten used to dodging snowdrifts and spots of ice during the last winter she'd spent in Seattle, so her ride wasn't lengthened by as much time as it could have been. By the time she did arrive home, however, even her revved up blood couldn't fight off the cold, and her nose was turning a faint shade of red as she shivered. She wrapped her bomber jacket tighter around her small body before hauling her bike to her shoulder and beginning the long walk up the stairs to her place.  
  
Knowing that Cindy was hanging with Sketchy before they were to meet up at Crash, Max was surprised to find her apartment door ajar, and instantly silenced her tread. She left her bike in the hallway and slipped into the apartment, listening for any sense of movement or the presence of another being. When her refrigerator door slammed shut, she spun in the direction of the kitchen, only to be met by twinkling hazel eyes.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Alec gave her a self-satisfied smirk. "Can't a guy visit with his favorite sister?" The word sister left an icy edge hanging in the air, making Max uncomfortable.  
  
"Visit implies being invited, I think this is called breaking and entering." Max quickly scanned her apartment for any sign of missing articles.  
  
"And what do you call what you do, Max?" Alec, not dropping his cool tone, replied, referring to the baseball incident months before.  
  
"I've told you, I'm not into that anymore. I only did it the once because *you* left me no choice. Where else was I gonna get the five grand to pay back Logan?" Max sniffed, moving around to snatch the apple out of Alec's hand that he'd retrieved from her refrigerator. "If a certain *brother* would've minded his own damn business and, y'know, actually tried to cover his tracks, I wouldn't have that particular problem would I?"  
  
Alec quickly threw the apple from one hand to the other, but Max was too fast. "Come on, you know you love me. Love me enough to let me keep my head anyway. Now that's what I call sisterly affection ... besides, you don't really mind your own damn business, either."  
  
"Whatever. Why're you here again? Decide that my life wasn't miserable enough that you just had to drop by and make it that much worse?"  
  
Instead of answering Alec switched topics, "What's wrong with you today, Max? I mean, besides the usual shit." He snatched back the apple and took a ravenous bite, the crunch practically echoing throughout the apartment.  
  
"Yeah, like I'm gonna pour my heart out to you." Max scowled at him and moved into her bedroom to search for something to wear to Crash. She dropped her bomber jacket onto the bed and kicked off her shoes before glancing into her closet.  
  
Alec leaned against the wall and reached in, pulling out one of Original Cindy's sparkled tops, "This is so your color," he joked, holding it out to her. "Sexy."  
  
"It isn't enough that you invade my life, now you gotta go through my closet? GET OUT!" Max grabbed a shirt off the nearest hanger, balled it up and threw it at him.  
  
"Okay, okay." Alec caught the top and put it in his inside jacket pocket, figuring she wouldn't miss it. He turned to leave but then a smile played on his lips, "Oh, I see your, uh, so-called business associate left you a little something," he said, turning, referring to Logan. It was on the tip of his tongue to say something like boyfriend or lover but he could see Max was quickly morphing into a live wire.  
  
Visibly controlling her temper, Max's voice was low and even as she stared into her closet, her fingers curling into a tight fist. "I know I'm gonna regret asking this, but what're you on about now, Alec?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," Alec sauntered out of the room, but only pretended to exit the apartment. He stood outside the door of Max's bedroom, out of her sight, and silently counted. She'd come running after him, no doubt, but she wouldn't have to look far.  
  
Max turned quickly, glancing towards her dresser where she'd left the book of poetry Logan had given her the night before. An empty space glared back at her. "ALEC! Goddamnit!" Max moved swiftly, her revved up body sending her across her bedroom and out the door in the blink of an eye. As he'd expected, Max remained unaware of Alec's presence as she passed between her bedroom and the apartment, then out into the hall.  
  
While she was gone, Alec pulled the journal out of his second jacket pocket, made himself comfortable on the couch and began to leaf through it, not really reading. His eyes caught some choice words, mainly "love" and "angel" among other sentimental crap for which Alec had no true zeal. He guessed that the poor guy had all the love on his side and Max--well, Max was still in the boss-employee rut.  
  
Max reached the street level of her building before realizing she that had been duped. She did nothing to hide her footsteps as she returned to the apartment, grabbing the bike she'd left out in the hallway and hauling it into her home. "You son of a bitch." Her voice was ice cold as she slammed down the bike and stormed across the apartment. "If you value any part of your body, you'll give me that book. Now."  
  
Alec felt all the blood drain from his face. He'd enraged the rabid she-wolf. "Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn," Normal once said. Correction: hell hath no fury like a woman. Period, he thought to himself. Nevertheless, Alec swallowed hard and kept his cool. He held the journal high over his head and placed a hand on each end, threatening to tear it in half. "If you value your little crush more than you think you do, you'll apologize for what you just said."  
  
Max's face took on a stricken expression as she watched the spine on her precious book begin to give under even the slight pressure Alec was applying. She couldn't stop her eyes from beginning to shine with unshed tears, but rather than apologize to Alec, she met his gaze for a single instant, then turned her back. "You already managed to destroy the only real progress we made on curing the virus, why not destroy this too? It'd be right up your alley, so why should I be surprised?" Drawing in a shaky breath, Max forced herself to move away from her brother and back into her bedroom. "Go away, Alec. Just leave me alone."  
  
Alec dropped the book. Not intentionally. It simply slipped from his hands in either surprise, shock or sadness. He stood very still, listening to Max in her bedroom. Her breathing was shallow and unsteady, and if it had been anyone but Max, Alec would swear she was crying. Full of regret, he found a bit of paper, scribbled a lame yet sincere apology and let it flutter to the floor. It landed on top of the journal, his bold script standing out like neon lights: "To err is human, to forgive is divine". He left the apartment, his heart sinking with each step he took. He'd been terrible to Max and he knew it. He'd been the worst kind of brother there is: spiteful, jealous and antagonistic.  
  
It took long minutes of silence before Max finally came out of her bedroom, quickly surveying the apartment for any sign of Alec. When he proved to be truly gone this time, the tension began to ease from Max's body, and she dragged a hand across her forehead. Her eyes spotted Logan's book of poetry almost instantly and she dropped to her knees, picking up the book, checking it over for damage. Alec's note fluttered to the ground and she glanced at it, rolling her eyes at his apology but picking it up anyway and taking it with her back into her bedroom.   
  
She'd forgiven Alec for worse offenses than he'd committed that day, but still, the emotional confrontation had taken more out of her than she'd like to admit. Spending as much time with Logan as she had in the last two days had intensified her pain in the wake of the virus, and having Alec paw one of the only physical reminders of whatever it was she and Logan shared had brought all those feelings to the surface.  
  
Suddenly, Crash didn't seem like the place she wanted to be that evening, nor did she have the energy to go to Logan's and face the very thing draining whatever strength she had left. Life was growing far too confusing for Max, so instead of getting dressed and going out, she curled up on her bed, clutched Logan's poetry to her chest, and allowed herself a rare night of sleep.  
  
End Part Six. 


	7. Confliction and Indecisiveness

A/N: Well, I'm back from three extremely exhausting days. LOL Three children are definately ten times worse than one, so I bow down to all of you that handle that situation on a full time basis. LOL  
  
Another couple chapters to go before we start getting into the fun stuff I have planned for this fic, so just bear with me for a little while longer. Again, a great thanks to all of you who've left reviews, I do appreciate them more than words can say. :)  
  
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)  
  
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.  
  
  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
  
Part Seven: Confliction and Indecisiveness  
  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
When Max awoke the following morning, a pair of chocolate brown eyes, staring down at her in annoyance, greeted her sleep fogged gaze.  
  
"'Bout time you opened those pretty dark eyes of yours, boo. Was beginning to wonder if I wasn't gonna hafta kill ya 'n someone beat me to the job."  
  
Max blinked in the bright light filtering into her bedroom. "Huh?" She squinted and stared up at Cindy in confusion, trying to clear her still sleep clouded mind.  
  
"Now, Original Cindy's got large patience where her home girl is concerned, but ditching me at Crash with Sketchy and no prospect of lovin' in sight is pushin' my limits. So, either you tell your girl that you just sleepin' off a night of rattlin' Logan's bedposts, or I'm gonna hafta kick your sorry date-breakin' ass."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Cindy blinked and frowned down at the nearly unresponsive Max, furrowing her brow in concern. "Jesus, boo, what's got you? You so down you gonna take me with you 'n ruin that charmin' personality of mine."  
  
Max sighed and stretched out onto her back, resting her hands over her head and staring at the ceiling. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
"What d'ya mean?"  
  
"Logan's all into this romance shit: the gifts, the dinners, the poetry... why can't I just go with it? Why can't I just be an ordinary girl for once and quit thinking about Manticore 'n the virus 'n shit? Why does everything gotta come back to that?"  
  
"Boo, it ain't makin' you any less ordinary to worry 'bout the long run. You just got shit to deal with no one else understands."  
  
"But Logan understands, and he's still pushing it. Shouldn't that mean something?"  
  
Cindy raised her eyebrows and settled in next to Max, wrapping her arm around Max's shoulders. "Doesn't it mean everything?"  
  
"It should, but I don't know what it means anymore."  
  
"Boo, Original Cindy ain't blind. This shit's tearing you all up inside, but only a fool ever said love was easy. If you ain't ready, you ignore everything Original Cindy told you the other day, and you march over there 'n tell the boy you ain't down with this shit just yet. Otherwise, pretty soon he's gonna be spilling his guts 'n you just gonna run scared."  
  
"I *am* down with it, girl, that's just it! I *want* to feel what he's making me, but not now! Not with the virus, not when I'm poison to him, not now and maybe not ever!" For the second time in twenty-four hours, tears came to Max's eyes and she balled her fists up tight as she struggled to regain emotional control.  
  
"Boo, we goin' over the same shit each time we talk. Now Original Cindy ain't complainin', but you gotta be talkin' to your boy 'bout this. A home girl can only do so much."  
  
"You can do one thing for me..." Max's voice quivered even as a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, pushing away thoughts of Logan as she met Cindy's eyes.  
  
"Tell Normal your ass ain't gonna be draggin' through the doors of hell today?"  
  
"Yeah. Tell him I died. Again."  
  
Cindy laughed and climbed to her feet. "You too much, boo."  
  
"Sometimes I really think so."  
  
"Max," Cindy leaned down and caught Max's eye. "You take Original Cindy's advice and tell Mr. Tower-in-the-Sky to back off some if you feelin' so wrong. Just make sure you tellin' him the truth."  
  
"What happened to the girl telling me to go with the flow?"  
  
Cindy shrugged. "That girl only seen her boo cry once. If going with it is gonna rip you up more than ignoring it, then screw the world. Do what's best for you."  
  
"And to think I was hoping for encouragement."  
  
Cindy rolled her eyes. "Go, boo, go."  
  
"Funny." Even through her sarcasm, however, Max was forced to give Cindy a sincere smile.  
  
"Hey, whatever works, right?"  
  
*****  
  
Logan glanced down at the two small boxes on the table in front of him. Two pieces of wrapping paper sat next to the boxes and he silently debated which of the two presents to give to Max that evening. Slowly a plan began to form in his mind, and he moved the smaller of the two boxes into a drawer for the next night. With a smile he began to wrap the remaining gift.  
  
When he was finished with the last bit of wrapping, Logan turned and picked up the telephone, dialing the number for Max's work.  
  
"Jam Pony." Normal's annoyed voice met Logan's ears, and the younger man blinked.  
  
"Could I speak to Max, please?"  
  
"You mean the lazy ass do nothing who thinks she's gonna get by in this world by batting her eyes and relying on her body? She's "sick". Now stop bothering me."  
  
The phone went dead, and Logan was left reeling. Normal seemed to get less and less tolerable each time they spoke. Instead of dwelling, however, Logan dialed the number for Max's apartment. His frown deepened when the phone continued to ring with no answer. A slow worry began to burn inside his chest; he'd not called Max the day before to give her space in case she needed to think over the poetry he'd given her. He'd never been able to put voice to the words he'd always wanted to say to her, and his poetry was the closest he could get to letting her know the feelings that were on the tip of his tongue each time they spoke. He frowned again. She'd seemed to have accepted the poetry without too much emotional uprising, but perhaps the time away had given her too much time to think and she'd chosen to run after all.  
  
He frowned harder and dialed again, this time the number to Max's pager. When he ended the call, Logan glanced down at the small wrapped box, picking it up and tossing it into the air, catching it and repeating the action as he waited for endless minutes for the phone to ring. He was beginning to think that Max wasn't going to call back when finally the sharp shrill of the cordless made him jump, dropping the box to the floor.  
  
He grabbed the phone, answering it with a breathless, "Hey," as he leaned down and retrieved Max's present.  
  
"Hitting you back."  
  
"Busy?"  
  
"Not really. Just killin' time. Didn't feel like puttin' up with Normal's shit today, so I bagged."  
  
"Yeah, I called. So, where are you?"  
  
Logan held his breath as he waited for Max's response. "At the market. Why, you need something?"  
  
He hesitated, swallowing hard. "Well, not really need, but if you wouldn't mind stopping by, I'd love to have you for lunch."  
  
"You would, would you?" The humor in her voice was clearly evident, ripples of laughter lightening her words.  
  
He sighed and shook his head, his low chuckle traveling across the phone line. "You know what I meant."  
  
"Yeah, I guess I could swing by for a while."  
  
"Great. So, uh, an hour then?"  
  
"Yeah, that'll work."  
  
Logan frowned once more, catching something in the tone of Max's voice to which he couldn't quite put a name. "Max? You all right?"  
  
"Yeah, fine, why?"  
  
"Nothing, it's just... nothing." He shook his head, deciding to let her come to him if she wanted to discuss whatever it was that was bothering her.  
  
"'Kay. Late."  
  
The phone went silent, and Logan sighed. He would almost kill to know what had happened to Max between Tuesday night and this morning, but he had to let Max move certain things at her own pace. It was enough that Logan was pushing her towards being with him without pushing her into sharing thoughts and feelings she'd kept private for far too many years.  
  
******  
  
Max slowly biked through the market. When she left the apartment an hour after Cindy had gone to work, she'd considered taking her motorcycle out onto the streets of Seattle and riding until she out ran the strange emotions that were threatening to slowly drive her out of her mind. Still, the last thing she wanted to do that day was call upon herself the attention of the Sector Police, or even that of White or the remaining free transgenics. She had no interest in getting herself caught up in any sort of adventure until she had her personal life straightened out; she was confused enough as it was without adding into it the guilt she felt whenever a transgenic found his or her way into life threatening situations. So instead of the attention drawing motorcycle, Max climbed onto her bicycle and pedaled through the city incognito.  
  
When Logan paged her, Max's heart leapt into her throat, and for several minutes she considered not calling him back. She cycled around the market, glancing into stalls as she considered her options silently. When she found herself stopping in front of a payphone, Max realized that she'd subconsciously already decided to find out what Logan wanted and she dialed his number by memory.  
  
Max's nerves kept her answers short and clipped as she spoke to Logan, her tension breaking only as his invitation to lunch came out mangled and made her laugh. Only Logan could possibly make the request for lunch into a sexual innuendo without realizing what he was saying. Max's answers became easier as they finished the conversation, and yet, still, Logan was able to pick up on her tension. It amazed her how in tune he could be to her emotions when she was still unsure of them herself.  
  
She stalled for a while after hanging up with him, dawdling around the market as she waited for enough time to pass before heading over to Fogle Towers. She pedaled slowly, taking her time as she crossed sectors, flashing her sector pass easily as she continued her leisurely journey. Having spent several years working for Jam Pony, Max knew the streets well, however, and arrived at Fogle Towers within the passing of an hour.  
  
She wheeled the bike into the elevator, keying the car to take her to Logan's penthouse as she waited with half excitement, half trepidation for yet another few stolen hours with the man that owned her heart, no matter how much she tried to deny it. She walked through the door without knocking, pushing her hesitation to the back of her mind as she strolled through the apartment, checking the kitchen for Logan before heading into the living room. He was standing by the window, looking out over the city, one hand resting in the pocket of the loose slacks he wore over the exosuit, and she smiled.  
  
"Hey."  
  
He grinned and turned around, his blue eyes meeting her brown as he glanced at her and walked forward. "Hey, yourself. Any trouble on the way over?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nah. All's still pretty quiet. Roads are passable, at least now. Probably be sheets of ice by tonight."  
  
"Hey, if they're too bad, you're welcome to stay in the guest room."  
  
She chuckled softly, dropping onto the sofa and propping her feet up on the coffee table. "Yeah, and give Original Cindy more cause to drill me when I get home. Nah, I'll make it home okay. Nine lives."  
  
He gave her a small smile and shook his head. "How many do you think you have left?"  
  
She shrugged. "Oh, five or six at least." She grinned. "Enough to be frivolous once or twice."  
  
He grinned. "Just don't lose count. Didn't know what you'd want for lunch, so I thought we'd decide together."  
  
Max shrugged, slipping down deeper onto the sofa, resting her hands behind her head as she tracked his movements across the living room. "Not really hungry anyway."  
  
Max's refusal of food and the tone of her voice caused Logan to pause. "Did you want to talk, then?"  
  
She sighed. "Yes and no."  
  
"Which is it, Max?"  
  
"We should talk, but I don't know what I want to say yet."  
  
He nodded, easing himself into a chair across from Max, watching emotions flicker across her face. "Whenever you're ready." When she said nothing for several minutes, Logan's fingers closed around the box in his pocket, and he took it out slowly. "Listen, you don't have to open this now, just take it. There's a note inside that will help explain what it means."  
  
Max's face took on a sudden expression of mortal terror as she took the small box from his fingers, remembering Cindy's words from two days before about rings and weddings. "Logan, you shouldn't have..."  
  
Logan couldn't stop the hurt from clutching at his heart as he noticed her pained look, but still amusement over her immediate and quite obvious suspicions won out, and it was the latter emotion that flashed in his eyes. "Relax. It's nothing major. I saw it at the market the other day and wanted you to have it. But like I said, the note will explain."  
  
He climbed to his feet once more and moved into the kitchen. Max was left alone, staring at the wrapped box now more in curiosity than in terror. Her fingers plucked at the delicate wrapping paper, pulling the edges open and trying to see what existed beneath, hidden from her sight.  
  
"Logan?" She raised her voice to carry through the apartment.  
  
"Max?"  
  
"Do I have to wait to open this?"  
  
His chuckle caused a slight blush to rise and stain Max's cheeks, but his words were warm and welcoming as they floated over to her. "You can open it any time you'd like."  
  
His laughter grew louder as the sound of ripping wrapping paper filled the apartment, followed moments later by Max's gasp of surprise. His expression sobered, however, when her gasp was followed by the sound of the box hitting the floor, and a worried look filled his eyes.  
  
"Max?"  
  
Fear gripped at him once more when his call was met by silence.  
  
End Part Seven 


	8. Pressure

A/N: Folks, here's the deal. I'm sorry it's been so long between chapters, but unfortunately, unless someone does something pretty fast on Dark Angel to completely reverse the damage they've inflicted this year, it'll probably keep taking this long. I love Max and Logan, I'll always love Max and Logan, but I'm slowly losing my will to keep hanging onto a relationship I'm beginning to think is going to go nowhere until five seconds before the show is cancelled.  
  
Out of respect for the freak I'd end up doing if that turns out to be the case, I talked myself into looking for a different program to obsess upon, even for just a few months until I knew whether or not Dark Angel would make it back next year, but I picked a show that was just too good for my own good. My muse has turned tail and run from Dark Angel, and although she's suspended between worlds at the moment, she's itching to begin writing for Farscape. I've never had the ability to balance between two programs, in my world it's all or nothing, and even as completely frelled up as John and Aeryn are, they're becoming my all right now. Regardless of what Aeryn has to say, regardless of what is going on with her body right now, I know she's completely incapable of staying away from John for long, and for once in the history of television, a completely heartbreaking season finale wasn't able to rip away my determination that this relationship will, one day, work.  
  
Now, even before walking head on into Farscape obsession land, I had been planning on retiring from Dark Angel fiction, at least until if/when next season begins to air. Fight or Flight was supposed to be my final Dark Angel fiction, but my muse has been taking beatings too hard lately, and with John and Aeryn occupying my heart and mind, she has been refusing to concentrate on Logan and Max. I will, however, finish Fight or Flight, whether that means one chapter a week, a month, or every other month, but I will finish it. All I can say is that this Friday night I watched Dark Angel, but sat here and did not tape it, and that's when I know for sure that a show is two steps to dead for me.  
  
I'm not planning on giving up Dark Angel entirely, if Cameron can turn it around and it survives this season into next, I'll be waiting with bells on to re-establish my hold on Max and Logan. For now, I will watch it through to completion this season, but once Fight or Flight is finished, that'll be pretty much it for writing until I can get back into the show.  
  
Anyway, thanks for the fun. I hadn't been planning on telling you all this until the last chapter, but considering the length of time it's taken between chapters, I felt like I owed you all an explanation. So, I hope you'll all forgive me. It's been quite the run for me here, and I've made a lot of friends via ff.net that I never would have met otherwise, and I am grateful for the experience.  
  
Fly safe, folks.  
  
Dani   
  
P.S. This part had been planned out long before Borrowed Time, so in the world of Fight of Flight, I'd say nothing since Berrisford Agenda has happened.   
  
  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
Part Eight: Pressure  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
"Max?"  
  
Leaving open the refrigerator door, Logan spun around and rushed back to the living room. Images of Max seizing on the floor rushed unbidden to his mind, along with old memories of holding her body while she shivered and died. His heart leapt into his throat as he entered the living room and took a deep breath.  
  
"Max?"  
  
She looked up in silence, flashes of gold illuminated in the candlelight as the chain he'd given her dangled between her fingers. The box the necklace had come in lay forgotten between her feet, the note Logan had left inside dangling precariously from the coffee table.  
  
"Max?" Logan repeated, searching her eyes for any sign of life.  
  
"I think I broke it." She held up the chain so that Logan could see the delicate half heart suspended by the tiny golden links.  
  
He looked at her in confusion for a moment before he began to chuckle softly. "Someone needs to teach you to read the cards gifts come with before jumping to conclusions, Max."  
  
She smiled at him uncertainly as he moved towards her, rescuing his note and handing it to her before sitting next to her on the sofa. She shifted away from him slightly, causing him to blink twice rapidly to mask his hurt before he returned her small smile.  
  
"The necklace comes in two pieces, Max. Two chains with half of the same heart dangling on each. When you put the two pieces together, they form a complete heart. Kids used to give them to their best friends before the pulse as a sign of affection. This one, however, I found at the market. Obviously, someone had taken the children's idea and made it into something more mature." She eyed the heart carefully, and he shook his head. "Yes, it's real gold."  
  
Max narrowed her eyes as she met his teasing gaze and shook her head. "So where's the other half?"  
  
He shrugged. "Here, waiting for you to bring home it's match."  
  
She instantly dropped her eyes to the floor, a low blush creeping up over her cheeks as she tightened her grip on the small chain. She swallowed hard, concentrating on slowing the beat of her now pounding heart, and with a sharp movement got to her feet. She put distance between herself and Logan as she moved to the window and then looked back. "It's sweet. Thank you."  
  
The one thing Logan wasn't, usually, is stupid. He heard the gigantic "but" at the end of her sentence, but when she didn't expand, he didn't press. He also didn't move to stop her when Max flashed him one of her nervous smiles and her eyes flickered to his door. He cocked his head to the side.  
  
"You have some place else to be?"  
  
She shrugged quickly. "Yeah, I guess. I'm supposed to run over to Joshua's with food and I don't want him trippin' if I'm not there on time, y'know?"  
  
"I understand. If it isn't too much to ask, though, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop by this evening for dinner. I have something else for you, and I'm pretty sure this is something you'd want to see."  
  
Max searched his eyes for a brief moment, frowning as she desperately tried to find any sign of what he had up his sleeve, but when nothing beyond calm greeted her in return, she shrugged one final time. "Yeah, I'll be here. Probably be a little late, but I'll be here."  
  
He smiled softly as she moved to the door and disappeared out into the hallway. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, moving to the drawer in which he placed the remaining box, Max's final present. "I'll be waiting, Max."  
  
*******  
  
Max paced Joshua's house silently. Her friend watched her, wisely not commenting, but rather keeping her in the corner of his eye as he added brilliant spots of color to his latest artwork. Max paused at the desk she'd stored in front of Joshua #2, and slipped into the chair he'd left waiting for her. Somehow staring at the sometimes illegible scrawl they'd managed to unbury from the paint relaxed Max, and today she could use all the relaxation techniques she could find.  
  
Joshua glanced down at Max after another hour passed in silence, and she'd not yet begun to write down the calculations she always seemed to find deep within the scribblings on his painting. He approached her carefully, resting a hand on her shoulder as she stared off into her own inner thoughts. "Max?"  
  
Max looked up at him and smiled softly, covering his hand with her own as she glanced back at the painting. "Hey, big fella. S'up?"  
  
"Max unhappy?"  
  
She shrugged softly. "Nothing new."  
  
"Virus bitch's fault?"   
  
She met his honestly concerned expression and sighed. "In a way, I guess. It's always there, always making things hard. I dunno what my problem is, big guy, sorry to be such a downer."  
  
Joshua smiled softly, and stroked Max's head before moving back to his painting. "Max not a downer. Confused. Sad. Need a friend, not a downer. Max wanna talk, come see Joshua. Max wanna feel better, go see Logan."  
  
"Been there, done that. Just made things worse."  
  
"See Logan and act, not think." He walked back to her and tapped her head softly. "Too much in Max's brain, too much to think and do." He moved his hand to tap her chest, over her heart. "Max gotta feel, no worries."  
  
"There are always worries, Joshua."  
  
"Always time, li'l fella."  
  
Max laughed, but it was a bitter sound as she got to her feet and wrapped her arms around her large friend. "Sometimes I think time is the problem, big fella. There's too much time, not time enough, not the right time, time interrupted. And you know what? It's never on my side."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"For what? Being a good friend? Nah, Joshua, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm not a better person to hang around with tonight, so I'm gonna blaze. Take it easy." She moved away from his embrace and walked out of the house, not looking back at the sad eyes that followed her.  
  
"Pretty whack."  
  
Joshua shook his head and picked up a fresh canvass, beginning a darker, more violent painting than the colorful one he'd set aside.  
  
*******  
  
When Max returned to Logan's penthouse only hours later, she walked inside without hesitation, smoothing her hair back as she brought a smile to her face.  
  
"Hey!" She cringed briefly, hearing the forced tones in her seemingly carefree greeting, however, Logan's head popping out of the kitchen and the smile on his face told her that her charade had been accepted.  
  
"Hey, yourself. Thought you were going to be late."  
  
"Yeah, well, the big guy didn't need me, and Cindy's on 'til last run tonight, so I figured, what the hell, free food."  
  
Logan gave her a knowing smile, and nodded towards the living room. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." He didn't miss the flash of gold that shone on her chest as she passed him by. "So, you like it then?"  
  
"Hmm?" She turned and glanced at him in confusion.  
  
He shrugged. "You're wearing the necklace, so I take it you like it."  
  
Max nodded and cast her eyes downward even as her hand rose to cover the half heart. "Yeah."  
  
Logan chuckled as he disappeared back into the kitchen. Max's quiet acceptance of the necklace meant more to him than if she'd gone all girly and gushed about it. It's the way Max is, the way she was raised, and something he'd come to accept and love about her. Sometimes, when things were important to her, Max's silence spoke louder than any words ever could.  
  
Satisfied that dinner was nearly finished, Logan left the oven on low and returned to the living room. "So."  
  
She looked up and smiled. "What?"  
  
He shrugged. "You want your next gift, or should I feed you first?"  
  
Max laughed quietly, and leaned back against the arm of the sofa, curling her legs up underneath of her. "Hmm... food or presents? I actually have to choose?" She winked at him, and held out her hand. "Gimme."  
  
"Your wish is my command." His shoulders shook with muted laughter as he moved to the drawer. A larger box had replaced the smaller box now, and he paused as he stared at it, his laughter diminishing as he was suddenly overwhelmed with indecision. He closed his eyes and concentrated on slowing his heartbeat, swallowing hard. When he felt calm enough to face her, he turned, handing the box to Max, his eyes sparkling brilliantly. Max's eyebrow rose as she noticed his suddenly intense expression, and she glanced at him with confused curiosity. "Go on," he said, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. "Open it."  
  
"Okay, you're being too weird about this, what's going on?" She left the present unopened as she met his eyes.  
  
"Just open it. You'll understand."  
  
"Logan..."  
  
He groaned, running his hands through his hair. He thought he had himself under control, but actually handing the box to Max set his heart pounding rapidly, and suddenly he wasn't so sure that the last week had been an entirely good thing. He considered snatching the box away before she looked inside and just telling her about the cure, but his heart overruled his rational mind. He'd spent a week showing Max how much she meant to him, hoping that through his actions she'd understand that he'd always loved her, before the virus, during it, and, if she'd give him the chance, now that it's gone. He just really needed her to open the box so they could begin to move on.  
  
"Please, Max?"  
  
She watched him quietly for a brief moment before sliding the top off the box. It didn't escape her attention that this was the only present Logan hadn't wrapped, but that meant very little to her; the fact he'd gone out of his way, yet again, to give her something meant everything. She frowned as she stared into the box, picking up the thin rolled piece of paper, surrounded by a tiny golden ring.  
  
"Uh, Logan?"  
  
He swallowed hard, his fingers clutching at his pant legs as he moved. "Listen, I gotta get out of the exo." Slowly the panic began to rise in his chest. "I'll be back in a minute, uh, if you want you can start reading that paper. It's pretty, uh, self explanatory."  
  
She watched him in deep confusion as he rushed out of the room, her sensitive hearing picking up his movements as he removed the exoskeleton and shifted into his wheelchair. While he made his way around his bedroom, setting the exo onto its stand, Max pulled the leaf of paper out of the small ring. Her heart slowed down slowly as she realized the ring was not an engagement ring, but rather something similar. The ring was gold, forming the shape of two connecting hearts with a small diamond resting in the center of each. She slipped it onto her ring finger, holding out her hand to admire the sight of the beautiful ring against the golden tone of her flesh. She smiled softly, flexing her fingers and watching it sparkle.  
  
She looked up as Logan wheeled back into the room, her smile brilliant as she met his entrance with a loving gaze. "It's beautiful, Logan."  
  
He nodded quietly, wheeling closer to her. "Do you know what it is?" When she shrugged and looked at him blankly, he sighed and shook his head. "Manticore knew nothing about love, did it? It's a promise ring."  
  
"A promise ring?"  
  
He nodded, swallowed, and took a deep breath. "I love you, Max." He nodded towards the ring. "I have always loved you, and that ring is my promise to you that I always will love you."  
  
Max's eyes filled with tears that she rapidly blinked back, and she ran her hands over her legs, momentarily forgetting about the paper that she'd set back into the box. "Logan, I..."  
  
"Just accept it, Max. Wear it on your hand, or don't, but please, just keep it."  
  
"There's just so much to think about... the virus..."  
  
He blinked twice, and sighed. "It's not an engagement ring, somehow I figured you'd walk out that door and never come back if I asked you to marry me tonight." He forced a smile to his face, and grinned as Max blushed quietly. "And as for the virus, I need you to read the paper that was wrapped in the ring. You'll get the gist better than I can explain it if you just do that."  
  
Max frowned but didn't hesitate as she leaned down and picked up the curled paper. Logan found that his breath stalled in his chest as her eyes moved rapidly across the paper, quickly absorbing the large amount of information contained on the single page. Slowly, she glanced up at him, her eyes filled with the fear of understanding. "Does this... does this say what I think it says?"  
  
He nodded silently, his voice strained as he forced air into his lungs. "If you think it's telling you that the virus is gone, then yes."  
  
"Gone? For good gone?"  
  
"For good gone."  
  
"How? Wait, forget it, I don't care how! This can't be real!"  
  
"Trust me, Max, this is as real as it gets."  
  
The smile that crossed her face in that instant made Logan's heart stop beating entirely. Every last fear melted away from him as her eyes began to glow with a happiness he hadn't seen in her since she'd returned from Manticore. For a single moment, Logan's life was perfect, and he inched the wheelchair towards her, setting his brakes only a few feet away from where she sat.  
  
Unable to believe that the virus was truly gone, Max lowered her eyes back to the paper in her hands, reading over and over the final test results that cleared them of the latest bitch to ruin her life. It was the fifth or sixth time she read the results when she caught sight of the date of the report.  
  
Logan didn't miss the change in Max's demeanor, her shoulders suddenly stiffening as her eyebrows drew close together and the paper began to tear in her grip. "Max? What is it?"  
  
When she looked up, all the excitement that had filled her gaze a moment before was gone, and instead Logan looked into cold darkness. "How long have you known about this?"  
  
He swallowed hard, his fear coming back in full force. He thought about telling her that the papers had come in the mail that day, but his conscience kept him from being able to lie. He met her gaze dead on as he curled his fists against his legs and braced himself. "Several days."  
  
Her eyes were dead cold as she climbed to her feet, and before Logan could fully comprehend what she was doing, she was standing over him and her ring was resting on top of his dead legs. "You son of a bitch." Her words were calm, but Logan was unable to miss the sheer destruction in her tone.  
  
"Max..."  
  
"Shut up." Her tone never changed, and very slowly Max leaned down, resting her hands on the back of the wheelchair, one on each side of Logan's body. Her breath burned across his face, and he resisted the urge to draw back from the cold fury that burned within her. "I used to think you were different, Logan. I believed OC when she convinced me that you weren't like other guys. I believed her when she told me that you didn't just think with your balls."  
  
"I didn't mean to..."  
  
"Didn't mean to what, Logan? Make me feel like a slut? 'Cause that's what you did. Virus is gone, so let's see how much you can screw with my heart before screwing me? I'm fucking safe now, so what, you spend a little money and I'm a sure lay?" She stopped for a moment, blinking back the sudden hurt that flashed in her eyes. "You know, for a minute there I actually believed you when you said you loved me. Goes to show you that even genetically engineered killing machines can make mistakes."  
  
Logan winced in pain, forcing himself to hold her gaze, pleading with her silently to see the truth in his eyes. "Max, you have to calm down. Just let me explain, please!"  
  
Max moved then, pushing him away as she turned towards the door, forgetting in her hurt and anger that his brakes were set and she was stronger than the average human. The sound of his cry as the chair slid out from under him and the thump as Logan hit the floor made her turn. For a single instant she moved towards him, the need to help him overwhelming her anger, but in the next instant the hurt came flooding back, and she shook her head.   
  
She turned back towards the door, opening it, pausing one last time. "Hey, at least I know I have some place to come when I'm in heat."  
  
"Max!"  
  
"Goodbye, Logan."  
  
His eyes closed as the door snapped shut behind her, and pain filled his features. When he opened his eyes again, he forced himself into a somewhat upright position, and his fingers closed around the tiny golden ring that had fallen beside him. He sat there for a moment, his heart heavy, staring at the door as if sheer will alone would make Max realize she'd over reacted and come back to him, but when five minutes passed, then ten more, and Max never reappeared, Logan realized how badly he'd screwed things up this time.  
  
He raised a hand to his head, running his fingers through his hair as he ground his teeth together in frustration.  
  
"Well, shit."  
  
End Part Eight 


End file.
